Various embodiments relate to a process for the preparation of a composition suitable for isolation of oligomeric poly (2, 5-furylpropane), termed pFP, and oligomeric 2, 5-poly(terahydrofurylpropane), termed pTHFP, using a simple and energy efficient isolation process with limited decomposition.
A related material, DTHFP (2, 2-difurylpropane), is an established speciality chemical used in the preparation of butadiene rubber (BR or polybutadiene) is in conjunction with a lithium catalyst. Its use is exemplified in, for example, U.S. 2012/0259082 where a high level of the meso-isomer has been shown to increase the vinyl content of polymerised 1,3-butadiene.
In developing synthetic routes to high level meso-isomer DTHFP, by-product pFP and pTHFP have been identified from some routes. This is currently treated as waste, with associated costs (e.g., disposal costs).
Uses for pFP and pTHFP would make some routes to high yield meso-DTHFP more commercially attractive, particularly from some routes to high meso DTHFP production. The provision of a method to isolate and use oligomeric DTHFP is of interest as it would convert an otherwise undesirable by-product of a process into an available chemical with potential commercial uses.